The research conducted by the author and described in this chapter found the need to unpack the response capability element of flood early warning systems. It identified five response capability nodes (risk awareness, preparedness, social capital, social vulnerabilities, decision-making) and two ‘coupling devices’ or interventions (community education and engagement, emergency planning) for consideration in future research and the design of flood early warning systems. The resultant framework places greater emphasis on the response capability of at-risk communities than other conceptual models and frameworks, and thus will hopefully contribute positively to situations where there are suboptimal responses to otherwise robust flood warning systems.

The framework developed also identified several areas where further research is required, including the role of social capital in aiding flood warning effectiveness, public risk perceptions and protective decisions for flash floods, and why people do not heed warnings and enter floodwaters.

A limitation of the conceptual framework developed through this research is that it does not show the complex interrelationships between its components. More research is therefore required to examine these interrelationships and determine where related future research opportunities may lie.